Card system

For the first time cards for food ("tessera") were noted in ancient Rome.

In France, during the Jacobin dictatorship, cards for bread were introduced (1793-1797).

During the First World War, a standardized distribution of cards existed in a number of belligerent powers, in particular, in the USA and Germany .

In the Russian Empire, the war demanded a centralized food supply of the 15 millionth army and a number of provinces. In August 1915, a year after the outbreak of the war, the empire government was forced to take a number of non-market measures - a “Special Food Conference” was established with the authority to set marginal and then firm purchase prices for requisition of products ^{[ specify ]} .

Since the spring of 1916, a number of provinces introduced a card system for food products (for sugar , since sugar producing plants in Poland were in the zone of occupation and military operations).

The Provisional Government - on March 25 ( April 7 ), 1917 , introduced a “bread monopoly ” (now all bread, all grain became the property of the state) and bread cards.

Further, the uncontrolled issue of unsecured money led to the collapse of the commodity-money system, which forced the expansion of the card distribution system: since June, cards are distributed to cereals, in July - to meat, in August - to butter, in September - to eggs, in October - for vegetable oils, in November and December 1917 - for confectionery and tea. ^[one]

In 1916, the card system was introduced even in neutral Sweden .

The card system has been widely used in Soviet Russia since its inception in 1917, in connection with the policy of " war communism ". The first cancellation of the card system occurred in 1921 in connection with the transition to the NEP policy. In January 1931, by a decision of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (Bolsheviks), the USSR People's Commissariat for Supply introduced an all-Union card system for the distribution of basic foodstuffs and non-food goods. Cards were issued only to those who worked in the public sector of the economy (industrial enterprises, state, military organizations and institutions, state farms), as well as their dependents. Outside the state supply system, there were peasants and deprived of political rights (deprived), together making up more than 80% of the country's population ^[2] . January 1, 1935 canceled cards for bread, October 1 for other products, and after them for manufactured goods.

The card system for bread was introduced in the USSR in 1929 . By a decree of December 7, 1934, after doubling the price of “card bread” in June, which brought them closer to commercial prices, it was canceled from January 1, 1935. A few days after the proclamation of the political decision of the Central Committee plenum on the abolition of cards, new retail prices for rye and wheat bread and significantly higher prices for flour were set. The most common was the price of wheat bread 1 rub. per kg - twice as much as the old “normal” price and one third less than the old commercial price. The preconditions for the abolition were relatively fruitful in recent years, due to which bread procurement increased, and the policy of stimulating further production by increasing purchase prices. ^[3]

Simultaneously with the beginning of free sale of products, a restriction was introduced on the release of goods into one hand. Moreover, over time, it decreased. If in 1936 the buyer could buy 2 kg of meat, then from April 1940 - 1 kg, and sausages instead of 2 kg in one hand were allowed to give only 0.5 kg. The number of fish sold was reduced from 3 kg to 1 kg. And oil instead of 500 g, 200 g. But on the ground, based on the actual availability of products, they often set the standards of delivery, different from the all-Union. So, in the Ryazan region the distribution of bread in one hand fluctuated in different areas and collective farms from the all-Union 2 kg to 700 g. ^[4]

Soon, however, inevitably followed by new supply crises (1936-1937, 1939-1941), local hunger and a spontaneous revival of cards in the regions. The country entered the world war in a state of aggravated commodity crisis with thousands of bursts. ^[five]

During the Second World War, a standardized distribution of basic food products was introduced in a number of countries participating in the war: the USSR, Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Japan, etc.

Since the beginning of 1942, a lot of goods, in particular, sugar, meat, tires, gasoline, bicycles and shoes, have come under the standard distribution in the United States ( Rationing in the United States ). Sugar consumption rates were set at 0.5 pounds (227 g) per person per week, and by mid-1945 were reduced to 0.285 pounds (129 g) per week. The norm of gasoline for owners of private cars not directly related to defense was 11-15 liters per week. Rubber products were tightly regulated. After the war, norms were abolished as the market provided the country with goods. Cards for most goods were canceled during 1945, for sugar in 1947 .

In Germany, the card distribution (imperial card system) was introduced on September 20, 1939, and totaled a total of 62 types of cards.

In the USSR, card distribution was introduced in July 1941, and was canceled in December 1947.

In the Czech Republic, the card system for basic foodstuffs was introduced on October 2, 1939, for fabrics, clothes, shoes and heating oil in December of the same year. With amendments and additions, it lasted until May 31, 1953 and was canceled during the monetary reform .

In the UK , rationed distribution ( English Rationing in the United Kingdom ) from 1940 included animal butter, sugar and bacon, and since August 1942 almost all products except bread and vegetables. Cards for gasoline were canceled in 1950, for sugar and sweets in 1953, for meat in July 1954.

In Japan, the card system was abolished in 1949, state control over prices was abolished in 1952.

In Israel, the card system was introduced in 1949-1952 (the " regime of asceticism ").

Coupon system

The essence of the coupon system is that in order to purchase a scarce product, it is necessary not only to pay money, but also to transfer a special coupon authorizing the purchase of this product.

Coupons for food and some consumer goods were obtained at the place of registration in the Housing Office (or dormitories - for university students). At the place of work (usually in a trade union committee ), the distribution of certain products and manufactured goods obtained in kind in exchange between enterprises was organized. Organization of trade through “orders” could also require the establishment of a control system, for example, selling meat on a “coupon-order” required the installation of two seals: the Housing Office, which issued the coupon, and the store, which sold.

The reason for the coupon system was a shortage of some consumer goods . Without a coupon, goods could be bought in the markets and from speculators. However, with the growing deficit in 1987-1990, coupons were widely introduced for many food products and some other goods ( tobacco products , vodka , sausage , soap , tea , cereals, salt , sugar , in some cases, in remote areas, bread, milk , mayonnaise, washing powder, lingerie, etc. ^[6] ).

The purpose of the introduction of coupons was to provide the population with a minimum guaranteed set of goods. Demand should have decreased, since without a coupon the corresponding goods in the state network of trade were not actually sold. In practice, sometimes it was not possible to use coupons if there were no corresponding goods in stores. Some goods, if they were in excess, were sold without coupons, although coupons were issued, for example, for salt.

Estimated consumption rates may vary depending on the status of the locality; So, when the introduction of oil rationing in the Chelyabinsk Region in 1981, the norm for Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk and 5 other large cities was 200 grams per person per month, for some smaller cities - 150 grams, for most settlements - 100 grams. The provision of coupons with a specific product could vary; thus, with a guaranteed norm of 2 kilograms of meat products per person per month, coupons in the Chelyabinsk region in 1983 were sold by 67% sausages, 23% by poultry meat and 10% by beef and pork meat (mainly for people with war and diabetics), in 1985, the situation with the supply of meat products worsened, and coupons were mainly cooked with boiled sausages, pork and lean mutton.

Timeline

In the 1970s, after unsuccessful attempts to limit the export of scarce goods (meat, meat and fish products) to nonresident, the leadership of certain cities began to put forward ideas for introducing meat coupons. In the late 1970s and the first half of the 1980s, in connection with the growing food shortage, in some cities and regions of the country ( Perm , Sverdlovsk , Chelyabinsk , Vologda , Zheleznogorsk and others), attempts were made to regulate consumption by introducing rationing and coupons for some types of food (meat, meat products, sausage, animal oil). ^{[7] [8] [6] [9] [10]}

In 1986, the first secretary of the Volgograd Regional Committee of the CPSU, speaking at the 27th Congress of the CPSU , proposed to conduct a reform of retail prices in order to solve the pressing problem of the gap between supply and demand and cancel the coupons ^[11] .

The coupon system was most widespread in 1988-1991, when the total deficit reached a peak, and the products began to disappear, both meat and ordinary, which were not in short supply before: sugar, cereals, vegetable oil, and more.

The coupon system has come to naught since the beginning of 1992 in connection with the “vacation” of prices , which reduced demand , and the spread of free trade. For some products in some regions, coupons lasted longer.

In a market economy , coupons are usually understood as cards for essential goods for socially vulnerable segments of the population; goods on coupons are issued either for free or at preferential prices.

The coupon system for the least protected groups has long been in place in the United States . Food cards are America’s usual social support tool. A food ticket is an electronic card, replenished monthly by the state from budgetary funds. On average, each person receives food stamps at $ 115 per month, and a family - at $ 255 a month.

In 2012, the number of Americans receiving food stamps rose to a record 46.7 million. ^[12]

• Shortage of goods
• Gardens of Victory

• M.M. Glaser. Food and manufactured goods cards of Petrograd-Leningrad 1917-1947. - SPb., 2012 .-- 112 p.

• Coupon system in the USSR